Vapor seal



Feb. 13, 1951 I F, DODELIN v 2,541,751

VAPOR SEAL Filed June 11, 1945 JNVENTOR. 4 F/EEDEH/OKADODEZ/N' ATTORZSZE'Y Patented Feb. 13, 1951 VAPOR "SEAL iErederickxAr Dodelin, GlenlRidge; .N .1.; .as'signor to Pyrene Development Corporation, Newark, "N51, a corporation of Delaware Applicationnlune e11, 1946;;SerialNo.1616;068

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates. torfire. prevention. appaixatus associated with..a tank. containingeaninflammable material, .such .as gasoline. fuel .oil,

oil-or the like.

Many proposals have been madeiorrmounting foam producing equipment .on or near atank used for. storing I gasoline or other inflammable. liquids,

so that in case of .fire in the tank, means .is

readily available .-to bring the blaze quickly under control. .-It has beenrecognized that such an .in-

.-.sta'l1ation should provide asealwhich acts under -.normal.condi-tions to prevent the escapeof fumes or'vapors :of the inflammable liquid, notonlyto cutdownshrinkage-of the liquid duringstorage, but also to prevent such escaping fumes from be :coming .an extra, firev hazard. aAtithe same time, the :means iorpreventing escape of these fumes :should not interfere with the proper operation or. the firefi hting equipment when it is needed.

iDeviceshave. been proposed utilizing .foam prosducing-e'quipment which communicates bya conduit with the :tank and which includes in thecon- "duit a sealing diaphragm normally used-to pre- -vent. escape. ofvapors and intended to be: broken @by the pressure ofrfoam or other fire -extinguish-- ing liquid forced through the conduit in. :case. it a is necessary to extinguish a fire.

""Suoh apparatus has several disadvantages, zamongst which is the .difliculty ofproviding a diaphragm thatis-sufficiently strong to, prevent: es- ".cape-of vapors-and that is still sufficiently weak to be ruptured under'the pressureeof steamer ooth'er fire extinguishing liquid flowing through i'theconduit. .If the diaphragm-is made. toot-weak, ;,it is apt-to :be broken prematurely, .a.110WiI-lg ;g'a$0- Llinexor xother vapors to escape "from t-hetank. On

:thegother hand,-; if the. diaphragm .ismadesv strong aenough to "resist any internal" pressure developed .inside the tank, ;one .;cannot hercertainthat 1it willfheruptured. :incaseof .a fire and permitrthe proper functioning of the-fire extinguishingequip- 'ment. iiFurthermore,.-such adiaphragm whenrup- 'itured may be broken-only at one .or-two points and thus seriously impedethe flow offireextinguishingyfluid into thettank.

obiectiotmy inventionvis towprovide a vapor seal which acts positively to prevent the escape :of :vapors from. a tank and: that is :always positivelyrem-ovedas axsealbythe impact'bf a'stream ifofffire'iextinguishing 'fluid delivered-to theztank. ..,-,Ai:f ur ther objector my;:inventi o.n is :to provide .aseal-in the :natureiof a-disc, held'in placesimplyhy gravity, tozact as a check. valve to, prevent the escape oi-vaporssfrom atankzand-that may .be itreadily lifted from the valveaseatiunder the suitahleibolts l3.

velocity or impact .of...fire extinguishing ,fiuidto clear the passage for unobstructed'delivery of the. fluid to the tank in case of fire.

:Other objects. and advantages .of the invention willjbe apparentand will be explained in connection..with the embodiment of my invention shown .in the. accompanying drawings, in which the figsure 5 is n3, toreshortened .side .elevation, partly in section, showing my improved vaporseal mount- .edhin a conduit near the top. of a tank, the conduit, being. connected .to foam producing equip- .ment.

Referringmoreparticularly to the embodiment of :the invention in. the :drawing, numeral .5. in-

dicates.the sidewall- .of astorage tank-4 for gasoline or other-inflammable liquid, the. tank having: a .:suitableitop .walLG. .An opening I isprovidedznearltheupper portion of the-sidewall .5, and .a suitably. curved. delivery conduit Bextends 'from the opening into .the-ta-nkto deliver foam or other, fire extinguishing fluid against the side wall 5, as willtbeunderstood by .those skilledezin the-art. :Outside the tank, a Toasting onconduitsection i9iis secured vto cover the opening! and-is ,bolted'to the inside delivery-conduit '8 by Gaskets l i may be v,used at thisrjoint toprovideatight seal against the escape ..of fumes.

The -.-upperportion of the T-conduit :9 has a vertical passageway lzaclosed by a..,cap'l.'-$ held .in place by bolts so that the capcan be removed to inspect, adjuster replace the vapor-seal. xThe .lowerrend of the T conduit. is partially closed .by. a. plate HM. held in place by bolts and-having ..a tubular'member in :the .formof .a nipple l5 threaded into ,a central opening in theplate. .The nipple t5, may be connected by suitable:couplings lfiand pipesor hoses I! to .the.1receiver pend J,8.-.of any ;suitable .ioam. producing equipment. :Sincethe -T conduits isan open-communication through thedelivery conduit .8'=-with .ltheinteriorof the tank,-a vapor sealis provided the form. of a' 'plate member such asthesolid .disc tetof-metal or other suitable material which r simply-rests onthe upper end of .thenipple l5.

If desired, -.the .upper end of the nipple l5 may have its-surface ground toprovide an absolutely tight fit with the disc l9. The; disc L935 thus in a position to act asa check valve effectively preventing the :escapeof vapors or fumes from ltheztank.

The :foam producingequipment shown is ardevice for. producing what isknoW-nas. mechanical or .air foam-and "receives water .underpressure froma pump, .hydrant erothersource though-a conditions.

hose IS, the flow being regulated by a valve mechanism 20 using a control handle 2| for this purpose. The water passing through the valve flows through a flared passage 20 which leads to compartment 23 provided with a suitable nozzle or nozzles to project one or more aspirating streams of the water into the tapered receiver I8. These water jets are exposed on the outer surface to air under atmospheric pressure and thus incorporate air with the water in the receiver l8 to produce the foam. Foam stabilizing liquid or solution may be supplied through the pipe 24, controlled by the valve handle 25 and delivered either into the compartment 23 or directly into the receiver l8.

It will be apparent that any other suitable form of apparatus for producing or furnishing suitable fire extinguishing liquid under pressure can be utilized, and this apparatus may be mounted at a point adjacent the nipple I5, or

may be set up at any other suitable point near the base of the tank.

In the operation of this device, the disc l9 serves as a check valve to prevent effectively the escape of vapors from the tank 4 under normal In the event of a fire, however, the first impact of foam or other fluid flowing up through the hose or pipe I! into the nipple IE will readily lift the disc [9 off its seat, and the disc is free to move up into the upper section l2 "might present difficulties.

, After the apparatus has been used, either the original seal or a new disc may be easily and quickly put in place by removing the cap [3 from the T conduit to provide access to the interior of the conduit. It is also apparent that the foam producing equipment may be left connected at all times to the T conduit, or may be disconnected at any time without interfering in any way with the proper operation of the vapor seal. This device has the outstanding advantage of being extremely simple in construction and yet highly effective as a vapor seal, and also very positive in its operation to permit the flow of foam into the tank when it is most needed. The disc US may be made of metal, plastic material or any other suitable breakable or non-breakable material, the weight and thickness being properly adjusted in accordance with the specific gravity of the material used to produce the most effi'cient operation in anygiven installation.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim: g 7 g 1. Apparatus for-supplying fire'extinguishin foam to a tank comprising a foam sup-ply conduit arranged to extend through a wallof the tank,

and means in said conduit normally preventing escape of vapors from the tank through said conduit which comprises a freely movable closure 4 member for the conduit held in place by gravity so that it is lifted out of the way by the impact of foam passing through the conduit to the tank to permit unimpeded passage of said foam.

2. Apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing foam to a tank comprising a conduit arranged to extend through a wall of the tank, and a plate resting by gravity on a seat to seal said conduit completely against the flow of vapors out of the tank, said plate being free to be moved bodily out of its path by the impact of a stream of foam flowing through the conduit to the tank so that the conduit is cleared and remains cleared for the passage of such foam.

3. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing liquid to a tank, a conduit arranged to extend through a wall of the tank for the passage of said liquid, a tubular member having an opening of smaller diameter and communicating with said conduit to supply said liquid thereto and having a seat formed on its upper surface, and a freely movable plate resting by gravity on said seat to close off said opening to the passage of vapors from said tank.

4. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing air foam to a tank, a conduit arranged to extend through a, wall of the tank for the passage of said foam, a substantially vertical tubular member having an opening communicating with said conduit and having a seat formed on its upper surface, means for producing air foam connected to a lower portion of said member, and a check valve comprising a disc shaped plate resting on said seat to close off said opening.

5. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing liquid to a tank, a conduit arranged to extend through a wall of the tank for the passage of said liquid, a tubular member having an opening communicating with said conduit and having a seat formed on its upper surface, and a plate resting on said seat to close off said opening and held in position solely by the force of gravity,'said plate being small enough to pass through said conduit and being arranged to be lifted off said seat by the impact of liquid flowing through said opening.

6. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing air foam to a tank, a conduit arranged to extend through a wall of the tank for the passage of said foam, a tubular member attachedto and communicating with a lower portion of said conduit outside said tank for supplying said foam thereto, means connected to said member for producing said foam, and a disc resting on the upper edge of said member to prevent the escape of vapors from the tank, said disc being free to be lifted bodily out of the way by the impact of foam flowing through said member. "T

'7. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing air foam to a tank, a conduit arranged'to extend through a wall of the tank for the passage of said foam, a tubular member attached to and communicating with a lower portion of said conduit outside said tank, a disc resting on the upper edge of said member to prevent the escape of vapors from the tank, said conduit being larger than said disc, said disc being free to be lifted by the impact of foam flowing through. said member and carried through said conduit, and means connected to said member for supplying thereto a stream of fire extinguishing air foam.

8. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing foam to a tank for inflammable liquids having'a conduit through which the fire extinguishing liquid is supplied, a seal to prevent escape of vapors from the tank through the conduit under normal conditions which comprises a valve seat in an upflow portion of the conduit, and bodily movable valve means resting by gravity on said seat, said valve means and seat being constructed and arranged so that said valve means is moved entirely out of the path of the foam by the first impact of the foam stream thereon.

9. In apparatus for supplying fire extinguishing liquid to a tank for inflammable liquids having a conduit through which the fire extinguishing liquid is supplied, a seal to preventescape of vapors from the tank through the conduit under normal conditions which comprises a, valve seat in an upfiow portion of the conduit, and freely movable valve means resting by gravity on said seat, said conduit above said seat being large 10 Number enough to permit free passage of said valve means therethrough.

FREDERICK A. DODELIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 329,585 Miller Nov. 3, 1885 1,245,878 Crompton et al Nov. 6, 1917 1,628,199 Schmidt et al. May 10, 1927 1,754,005 Witter Apr. 8, 1930 15 1,870,692 Schooler Aug. 9, 1932 1,876,222 Guthrie Sept. 6, 1932 1,917,694 Boyd July 11, 1933 

